Mom Enough

It’s been our pleasure to welcome guest experts from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development to our Mom Enough® show. Mom Enough is a child development podcast about parenting hosted by developmental psychologist Dr. Marti Erickson and her daughter Erin Erickson, maternal child health specialist. We would love for you to share links to these free, informative shows with others! Check out the featured shows below or visit www.MomEnough.com to see them all.

Being a Good Sport Parent: Practical Guidance on Bringing out the Best in Your Young Athlete

Guest: Dr. Nicole LaVoi

We’ve all seen them (and many of us have been them) – the parents yelling at the referee, coaching their child from the sidelines or booing the other team. What are kids learning when they see that behavior? And how does that sport parent behavior affect children’s health, well-being and feelings about sports? University of Minnesota researcher Dr. Nicole LaVoi has spent years seeking answers to these questions, and she has helped many communities move toward more positive attitudes and behavior to support children’s development as athletes and people of character. In this Mom Enough show, Marti & Erin were taking Nicole’s well-tested advice on being a good sport parent to heart, and you will too!

Admit it, moms and dads. Sometimes the exhaustion and stress of parenthood really zap the romance out of your relationship. But a strong, zesty marriage is good for you and good for your kids. And there are steps you can take to revitalize your relationship at any stage. Dr. Bill Doherty is a University of Minnesota professor, author and marriage and family therapist who has devoted his life to understanding what makes and keeps marriages strong. You, your spouse and your children will reap the benefits of the tried and true advice he brings to Mom Enough. As a bonus, Bill Also offers tips about the most helpful way to respond if a friend confides in you with concerns about his or her marriage. Don’t miss this timely Valentine’s week show!

Cut to the Quick: The Consequences of Relational Aggression Among Our Sons & Daughters

Guest: Adrienne Banny

We’ve all heard “mean girl” stories and many of us probably have lived them. But the social rejection and humiliation kids inflict on each other is not unique to girls; in fact, this Mom Enough guest cites evidence that relational aggression is equally common among boys and girls. Whatever the gender of the children involved, being on the receiving end can be devastating. And as wrong as it seems, there often are rewards for the perpetrators in terms of popularity and social status. As researcher Adrienne Banny attests, it will take a concerted effort by parents, teachers and other caring adults to turn around this very disturbing trend!

Supporting Your Child’s Development of “Executive Function” or Self-control: A Conversation with U of MN Researcher Dr. Stephanie Carlson

Guest: Stephanie Carlson

What researchers call “executive function” and most parents call “self-control” encompasses everything from paying attention in class to resisting the impulse to punch someone who gets in your space to managing frustration with a difficult project. However it shows up in daily life, executive function is key to school success and positive relationships. So how does executive function develop in children and what role do we play as parents in promoting good executive function? Dr. Stephanie Carlson, professor in the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development (College of Education and Human Development), has been studying this important aspect of child development and brings helpful insights and practical tips to her discussion with Marti and Erin in this Mom Enough show.

Our Children’s Experience of Stress, for Better and Worse: A Conversation with U of M Professor Megan Gunnar

Guest: Megan Gunnar

As much as we’d love to make life easy for our children, they inevitably will experience stress. And, as research demonstrates, some stress actually is positive in that it allows children to discover and practice their coping and problem-solving strategies. But when – and under what conditions – does stress become toxic and undermine our children’s longterm health and well-being? And what does this research mean for us as parents? You won’t want to miss this important discussion with Dr. Megan Gunnar from the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development!

Very young children have a remarkable capacity to learn whatever language (or languages) they hear. But as we get older, we often struggle to learn a new language and may never “speak like a native” (as Marti learned years ago trying to order a beer in Sweden!). Why is that so? And, as parents, what should we do to support our children’s language development in both their primary language and second and third languages? You won’t want to miss this fascinating and helpful discussion of a topic of great importance in today’s diverse world.

Choosing a Preschool That Is the Right Match for Your Child and Your Family: Insights from the Director of the University of Minnesota’s Laboratory School

Guest: Barb Murphy

These days most of us know that a good preschool experience can give a child a big boost in being ready to succeed, both socially and academically, in school. But there are so many different types of preschools and sometimes the choices can feel overwhelming. In this Mom Enough show, Barbara Murphy, Director of the Shirley G. Moore Laboratory School and Coordinator of Early Childhood Programs at the University of Minnesota, offers practical guidance on how to find the best match for your child and your family.

The Latest on Why and How Parent-Child Attachment Is So Important: A Conversation with the University of Minnesota’s Dr. Alan Sroufe

Guest: Alan Sroufe

No doubt you have heard a lot about why the attachment between you and your child is so important to your child’s lifelong development. But you also may have received mixed messages about what you need to do to build the kind of attachment that will put your child on the path to lifelong healthy development. Marti & Erin are delighted to welcome to this show one of the world’s top researchers on attachment to set the record straight about what is and isn’t necessary in order to give your child this important foundation. (Marti is especially pleased because Dr. Alan Sroufe was one of her major mentors when she was working on her doctorate.)

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Featured Article

U.S. News & World Report has issued its annual college rankings, once again recognizing the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and its programs as some of the finest in the nation.

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Featured Article

U.S. News & World Report has issued its annual college rankings, once again recognizing the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) and its programs as some of the finest in the nation.